Divinations (prophecies) in the literature of Buddhism

The article examines the role and functions of prophecies (divinations) in Buddhist literature, gives a description of the works of the genre, such as “orders; sayings, instructions” (Mong. jarliy, Oir. jarliq), in which prophecies play an important part in the preaching work of Buddhist hierarchs. The researcher also considers the special role of divination (prediction) in the narrative literature created by the Tibetan and Mongolian authors. One of such works is a work by the Tibetan author Dagpu Lobsan-Danbi- Jaltsan, translated into Mongolian titled “The Tale of the Moon Cuckoo” in which the divination of one of the protagonists, Queen Matimahani, made in the opening chapter, is in fact the plot of the entire story about her son, Prince Dharmananda. The most important feature of such prophecies in the “Tale..is not a simple presentation of certain events, but also a listing of the lines of succession (rebirth) of certain characters, among whom are divine persons, the embodiment of the deities of the Buddhist pantheon. The author comes to the conclusion that the inclusion in the texts of “orders, sayings, instructions” of prophecies, predictions of the future was intended to awaken fear and awe in people, expanded ideas about the composition of the world and its dynamics. As for the narrative literature, since the prophecies were put into the speech of the deities, this circumstance makes the prophecies beyond any doubt. Nevertheless, the divination of not only future, but also past incarnations of this or that character is a kind of confirmation of the reliability of the events described, via the mentions of famous people.